We Need A Library Economy 

I forgot to mention one of the best resources out there right now for implementing the library economy wherever you are! Check out Open Source Ecology and their work on the open access Global Village Construction Set: www.opensourceecology.org/gvcs/ The Global Village Construction Set (GVCS) is a modular, DIY, low-cost, high-performance platform based on the vision of a transparent, collaborative, and inclusive economy of abundance. Their project is about developing blueprints for the easy fabrication of 50 different open-source industrial machines that can be made at a fraction of commercial costs and shared for free. Please drop more resources in the comments below!

I'm sure my city isn't the only to do this (in fact, I know it's not), but our public libraries have a 'Library of Things,' where you can check out all sorts of things. Gardening tools, a quilting machine, a radon testing kit, a telescope, a Cricut, musical instruments, a laptop, and more. They expand their curation efforts based on requests (I'm currently trying to get them to add a viola). But wait, there's more. In their newest branch, they've added a whole media suite. They have a room for podcast recording or zoom calls, a video production studio with a greenscreen, tungsten and LED lights, video and audio equipment, and computers with editing software (and a nice comfy set), and a music recording studio with three isolation pods, a digital and upright piano, a drumset, recording equipment, garageband, and the ability to record with a tech to help you mix it (if you want to do an album or EP, you get 40 hours of the tech's time in exchange for 40 volunteer hours, no other cost. A 2 hour session and self-record is free). AND, they've partnered with a local college to utilize sociology majors as part of a team to meet library patrons along the floors, connecting them with resources both in the library and out in the community. We previously have a lot of homeless in our library, so it's a great way to help them find what they need to help. Oh. And a 3D printer, which is free to use. That's not even half the services they offer, but damn. I love libraries. And I love the idea of a library of things. It's all free, it's accessible, you don't even need an address to get a card and they've done away with late fees here. Just... so much potential. So many ways to enrich the community, which gives back in turn. Brilliant.

I cannot tell you how much I want to slip into this society. I’m a baker. I would give anything to just spread joy via baked goods every day. I’d also volunteer as a doula and gardener. I could do so much!

I work in a public library and we actually have an "art" library where people can come and borrow an actual artwork, hang it in their home for 3 months and then return it to get another one :) It works well and is very worth it when you think of how unacessible buying one for themselves is for most people !

In the midst of me enduring painful, capitalist, classist, and ableist bureaucracy on my path to getting my Library Sciences degree, this is absolutely the kind of motivation I need to really keep my head up and keep pushing! Libraries were there for me as a young kid who could never afford all the books I wanted to read, it was a place with people I felt at home with. It gave me a space away from abuse and violence and a place to simply exist. As I've gotten older I've fallen even more in love with them too. And as already fantastic as books are, using a library system for so much more too. Absolutely going to be a video I watch multiple times to fully digest and let sink in!

Book libraries could be made a lot better too, and I've seen an incredible example of this. I live in Japan where a lot of towns grew around medieval castles, and the castles have become the central landmarks of their cities. But Yamato City, Kanagawa Prefecture (near Tokyo) has no surviving castles, so about a decade ago they built a giant multipurpose library building that would dwarf any castle, and started promoting Yamato as a “library castle town”. When you enter Sirius, the main building of the Yamato City Library system, Pepper the SoftBank robot greets you near the escalator. Inside, the library has big wide open book collection spaces and atriums with beautiful wooden decor. Besides the general literature and reference materials for adults, there’s a huge manga section, as well as a children’s book section and teens section, all with their own seating areas. Parents have dedicated rooms for nursing babies and changing diapers, and there’s an adjacent foam block play area for toddlers, as well as story time areas for slightly older children. Visitors can chat and have refreshments on the terraces and balconies, or the Starbucks on the ground floor. Community councils, support groups, seminars and classes, and other meetings can be held in the many reservable rooms on the top floors. There are plenty of desktop computers and media viewing booths for accessing online and other digital content. They even have a culture hall for holding large scale events and a broadcast studio for making locally-oriented programming. That’s not even all of the features of Sirius, just the ones I can remember from my last visit. I'm from an American college town with old underfunded libraries, so I was amazed by Yamato's library castle that is so inviting to visitors even local teens go there just to hang out. Every city should have a library like Sirius where people can go as an alternative to commercialized spaces like shopping malls or high streets or lifestyle centers or whatever.

As someone who is disabled and constantly sees disabled people being framed in terms of how well they can work or not, it’s so refreshing to hear the concept of a world that can provide accessibility and resources that actively contributes to others A banger as always Drew!

Library socialism is easily my favorite utopian vision. It's hard to think about the intricacies of a future anarchist economy at times, library socialism is very easily imagined because we have a reference right here in the present. I spread the idea wherever I can. You did a great job on this video, thanks for making it. Also loved to see the wrong boys make a guest appearance! Truly a treat.

that library skit at the end lowkey got me tight. Why cant we all live like that now?? 😭

This isn't all just in the future. Many places have tool libraries now, and your public book libraries often have much more on offer than just books. They don't advertise like stores do, so you have to ask around.

I am a huge fan of the vast library of guides/manuals/blueprints/etc. at the Internet Archive! They seriously have EVERYTHING over there, from building large solar-powered portable batteries w/ full AC/DC outlets,, to urban warfare (applicable to protests/direct action) tactics, and everything in between

My community has a public pantry and a tool library. The city I used to live in also had a whole ass Maker Space in the main branch's basement. Some guy literally started a whole business while homeless and unemployed from there. Very cool. Libraries are amazing.

recently a library opened near my house. it was designed with a lot of input from the neighbors and you can tell telling because it feels communal. it has a large garden with picnic tables and chairs, three floors and a terrace with lots of plants and tables. love the idea of having many more of these types of buildings, all with different utilities. good vid

Some of these libraries have already been implemented where I live and they're amazing! Tools, cooking utensils, camping/hiking gear, instruments, etc. We're teamed up with a stanning service too

I'm studying product design in college because I love making stuff, and it's been great in that regard but it's also been very demoralizing. We're not taught to solve the problems of people, we're taught to solve the problems of the companies we work for, which in most cases overlaps just enough to be passed off as the former, but the deeper I get into my education the more that facade fades. We are constantly told how design can change people's lives or change the world, but I've become totally disillusioned because what we're actually being taught to do is how to find new niches of people to exploit. And we keep finding them because our identities as people have been commodified. I love the idea of a library economy. It would completely destroy the industry of "design" but I am fully in favor of that happening, so much talent and work and energy is being poured into carefully thought out design that helps nobody in any meaningful way.

Glad you mentioned Mali as a prominent library 👏🏿🖤

A housing library would really be a cool solution to buying a house on stolen land. I'm happy to rent, but rent isn't regulated and landlord are and continue to be trifling. A housing library could be really something.

The cruise ship metaphor should be made into a shareable clip!!!! That would spread fast. Great work.

Your whole approach to the our struggles is so constructive and positive. I usually don't comment, but thank you again for your work and all the wonderful perspective.

That last little skit is soooo good. It reminds me of a quote I heard about social change which is emphasizes hegemonic change is only achieved when an ideology is considered a laughingstock or outright ridiculous. A perfect example is how most of us think of monarchy now. I think the concept of a library economy has this potential. It's so intuitive and paints a harmonious picture for our future. P.S. Thank you so much for your work! Your videos continue to inspire me.❤

There was this little wooden hut a local group put up at some point earlier this year, it was about the size of a small shed and it's purpose was as a place where you could bring things to give away and take things as you wanted, a little misc. sharing hut. Recently as I was walking with my mother to get some ice cream while she was visiting me, we passed it and it had been completely burned down. Apparently there had been plumbs in there at the time it was destroyed as charred plumbs littered the burned floor. It must have happened fairly recently because as we walked past it again on our way back, a handwritten sign expressing the anger of someone who may have been involved with it's creation had been put next to it. It chastised whoever had done it and it was kind of heart breaking. The hurt in the message, hand written in light blue on a thin piece of paper fluttering in the wind between two sticks barely more then twigs, standing next to a burned down hut, the remains of some of it's content still identifiable in their charred state and the sheer, almost shiny, blackness of the recently burned wood all that remained.

This made me so warm and fuzzy inside I can't even begin to express it. It's definitely along the lines of things I've imagined before but not in such succinct terms, and library economy is such an elegant way to describe it.

This reminded me of a conversation I had while I was still in school. There was a boy from a wealthy family, he was there on social security somehow from not listing his family. I met him through a church group, he was trying to change himself, but sometimes he would say stuff that shocked me. One day he said he didn't think the poor needs education. That only those with wealth and influence need knowledge. I brought up some of the inventions we have today came from people that were poor. And that different perspectives bring more ideas with make more advancements. It just amazed me that he never thought about it. Even the fact that his family could go bankrupt and he could become poor, then his children would not be worthy of education by his own standards. I hope he found the change he was looking for in himself.

As someone who’s job has been awful because of my lack of access to my medication, this was really inspiring. Thanks Andrew, as usual, you make the best anarchist content on RU-vid.

I want to live in a library economy so badly!

It's amazing how often you release videos on concepts as I'm thinking about them. Our local library has a small food bank and rents out internet access points. As I was sitting there enjoying a free meal with my family I remarked that our whole society should work like a library, and boom here's this video. Degrowth economies are also something I've been reading about, definitely looking forward to that video. PS I like the skits they're a nice way of breaking up the content 👍

As someone on the way to her Library Science degree, this is a very important video to explaining the ideas of the Library Economy. I'll be sure to send people this way if they are interested in a utopian future!

You always give me hope. I often feel alone on my own path to conceive a more dignified and meaningful society. So it is always refreshing to hear the thoughts of someone with the same intentions and ideals. Godspeed comrade.

This is just the most serendipitous encounter with the RU-vid algorithm. Every single word you say has me nodding along. I have been on a lifelong journey of awakening to my true nature, from a compare/compete/hoard mentality toward a collaborate/cooperate/share mentality. It is people like you that are helping me with the language to explain my evolving worldview, first to myself and then to others. Thank you for this.

When my parents first married, they checked framed art prints out of the library to decorate their apartment. Tool libraries exist in some places, and I love them. I can’t say enough in favor of these possibilities!

I went into library work with an interest in anti-authoritarianism (progressivism, etc.) and having worked in libraries for 10 years I have found libraries to have all the pitfalls of society and any other jobs that I have had, but one of the things that is hard for me, is that the letdown is so much more, because of my naive optimism that libraries would be better than other things (jobs, etc.). Libraries have all the problems of society and are hierarchical structures. The institution where I work doesn't have any love for me and my attempts to challenge the status quo has sometimes been embraced, but I have largely shot myself in the foot by trying to make positive changes while thinking I could advance, or even maintain, in the library world and specifically at my job. I am currently looking for another library job because I cannot stand the insults from and oppressiveness of my boss, but there are only so many library jobs. Many of the library jobs I have seen are not interested in compensating employees, in a respectful manner. People at the top of hierarchical structures know that people making this video and people in the comments have a love for libraries and are willing to exploit those feelings for their own power and monetary benefits. Solidarity, equality, and freedom for all.

Thank youuuu so much for this ❤️ I'm a new library science student so this is amazing for me

I really like the idea of the expansion of libraries and maker spaces to most areas of life. A risk in the longer term is a slide into 'rental serfdom' that the WEF proposals look to lead to? Ensuring they are always community owned would be critical... and they would need some form of 'value' input to be maintained, be that money, time, information etc..... If it were easy I suppose we'd already be doing it :D Very thought provoking work, thank you!

i look at this.. when. i hear these things, and i see my friends thriving and loving and living and well off and happy and joyful... that's a future i want... and i see my friends in this video. i see my family. i see every person i've ever met here.... thank you

Libraries are so good in that they both have transparency for library staff w/o exposing precarious people while maintaining convenience for it’s users

I loved the cheeky little personal vs private property joke. On another note, the local library here provides Narcan and is a cool space shelter on top of being a library.

That commercial really take me for a loop 😮‍💨

The ending was such a beautiful love letter to the idea. I haven't giggled so freely at how nice things could be. I don't know what sacrifices I'm giving to play my part, but I'm ready for it.

I swear, every video of yours I watch gives me something new to think about/hope for in our future. Thank you for that. I've been volunteering at my local library for about a half a year now, and I never thought about having library-like places for everything, but it sounds so wonderful! I love the library, I work in the kids section, and I've seen so many wonderful books! Books on different religions, books on different kinds of families, books on treating people equally, books in many different languages, and even ones that have speakers and read aloud to you! And all the librarians I have met have been so kind and so inclusive, I never feel like I have to hide any part of myself around them. Volunteering at the library has made me much happier, seeing so many people putting in effort for a community they love. It's not perfect, but there are many people there always campaigning for change, and I'm happy to be a part of it. Great video :-]

Andrew you have a way of presenting ideas that have been just rumbling around my head for a long time with no direction and no orientation and making them all fit perfectly together. That analogy of the sinking ship is absolutely PERFECT and I will be referencing it (and your whole channel as a matter of fact) a LOT. I used to work at a library and seeing the way the library and the workers fit into the community and help nurture growth has inspired me and has been on my mind constantly; and this video has help so much in framing why library’s have a special place in my heart. They’re a pure form of community, and library socialism is truly the answer to so many problems!

I have OCD and unfortunately have hoarding impulses, I have a hard time getting rid of things because my brain worries that I’ll need it in the future. But since everything will work differently in this economy, it’ll be completely different how my OCD presents in the first place. Anyway, this made me almost cry. I want badly to be in this world… but I’ll probably won’t be. Still, it helps to hope that some day we’ll get here. Love your channel💖

when i was homeless the library was my favourite spot, I could use the bathroom, the internet, the computers and print out stuff. It was also a safe space to just rest and get away from the weather. The books too, of course, are still my favourite form of escapism. Librarians generally tend to be really kind and helpful people. The end bit was so cute, can't wait for the day it's a reality

The ending piece beautifully captures an anticapitalist future of joy, communalism, and peace. Will definitely need to dig into the sources and references on this. Really grateful for your work.

Some things I’ve found that I can do to help without spending much money money are like, sharing fruits with my neighbors and building things for common use from the wood that I collect in my yard. I also fix bikes and scooters for the neighborhood kids at no cost since I usually only need to tighten or adjust things, but I could also probably spring for tyres or a seat or pedals or brakes once in a while out of pocket as rarely as it comes up. Not tooting my own horn, but I wanted to share the ideas in case someone like me wants to help and has time but not a ton of money to spend. I am also about to start learning how to make furniture and homes from locally abundant materials, time and opportunity permitting. I see a total divorce from participating in the money economy as a necessary step eventually, and I believe this is one of the paths we can take to get there.

The amount of work that companies put into developing DRM software that limits access to digital creations (like ebooks) really puts the lie to the idea that capitalism is an efficient way to distribute resources (or an efficient way to organize priorities of what people labor on). Like the idea that libraries have ebooks that could be shared with anyone for free but instead are forced to use act as if there a scarcity is infuriating. The internet could have been so beautiful and liberating but instead we're stuck with walled gardens, manipulative & adversarial technology and everything requiring a subscription to access

As always, I share the heck outta this. It's rare that anyone actually gives us ways out of this hellscape. Positive action.

I'm an Architecture student and currently taking my undergraduate thesis. I chose public library as my project and this is such a good source of inspiration for me~ Thank you for this~

I do wish libraries had more ADHD-friendly ways of borrowing. Either better ways to remind you to return books (or whatever the library in question is for) when it's "due" or when someone else requests it, or easy ways to return it without having to physically go to the library. Like how I wish my co-op had a good way for me to have them pick up some of containers so they could refill them with the bulk bins rather than using single-use plastics or papers during deliveries (which I'm also physically disabled, so delivery is a huge benefit and can make the difference for whether I shop at the co-op at all). I can be very bad at returning books for the same reason between ADHD and physical disabilities--and I know friends with ADHD without physical disabilities can struggle enough themselves.

I have a vacuum but I only use it when I need it, a car but it sits most of the day, the idea is that stuff should not just sit there waiting for someone to use it, but be used more by more people

Amazing video. Very mind expanding for me. I was familiar with the expansion of the library concept but you really flesh out just how useful it is. This video is also helping me to grock the idea that property as it is currently constructed in our society isn't some natural law, something that's been particularly hard to scrub out of my head. Also I loved the skits!

When I was a kid my mom took me and my siblings to the library a lot, every time we had to check out this one book about dinosaurs, and the fact we didn't have to pay amazed me, this video really has my imagination going

after studying spanish linguistics and literature in college im now preparing for a public exam to work as a librarian in public libraries (in spain) and its been really hard since im studying on my own. this video reminded me a bit of why im doing what im doing. will definitely rewatch and share with my librarian friends. ✊🏼 love ur work

Your channel is so uplifting. There isn't enough content out there that makes me believe in the good in people and feel hope for the future. Seriously- thank you so much, friend. It means so much to me

Library Socialism! Woo!

I work at a school built around the Montessori-Summerhill doctrine. Almost everything in the school is shared in this way, from items to services, simply because we all want it to function as best as possible

my school has a makers space with 3d printers, sewing machines, a green screen room, cameras tripods lights dolly tracks gimbles, screen printing and more but most students dont even know or care much to use them, the staff in charge gets so excited when anyone drops by

I love how similar thinkers come to similar solutions. I've been working on a project near the border to create a exactly what your talking for the past 5 years. The "library of things" being the literal words guiding the first principles behind all of the projects I'm involved with. Don't worry we're working on building new libraries. It's already happening

This is reminding me of The Dispossessed. Possibly my favourite book. Thanks for all your work

My mind is blown. I described this EXACT concept to my partner as a utopia. My dream, ideal lifestyle. And I had no idea I was entertaining anarchy. I just started studying anarchy and I found your content and now I’m my brain feels like it’s exploding in the best way!

The outro bit is genuinely incredibly inspiring. Such an unassuming example of a possible interaction but so incredibly refreshing. Thank you.

When I was growing up, I'd hear from family constant microaggressions and prejudice against Indigenous Australians. My Nanna would always claim they'd steal her belongings, but as I grew, completely in disagreement with their viewpoints, I came to understand that the nomadic Indigenous people had a library mindset of the land and its ever generating provisions thanks to their careful consideration and use of orally passed down knowledge. They didn't see it as stealing, they saw it as a righteous distribution of resources. A lot of greedy and possessive people are against the library economy, because it doesn't divide their "earnt" possessions from the vast array of resources available to everyone. I believe in a system of distribution as well as heirloom. If you're intent on passing it down to your descendants (while you're still alive), then it shall be your private property. But if it's yours just to gain capital, then you must loan it. Of course people have a right to personal effects, but greed is an ugly sin that ought to be vanquished from our planet, and things without use to yourself should be passed to someone who will make use out of it. Imagine the projects, the buildings, the agricultural centres and so on, that could be. If only we weren't so possessive of items without ongoing purpose to ourselves. Equity and equality for all over advancement of elite individuals. Edit: this is the first video I've watched, and I immediately subscribed by the end. Wonderful work

love the storytelling segments you included, especially the ending one. thanks for sharing!

I want to be a librarian when I grow up. Thank you for the motivation to keep going with my path to this honestly pretty thankless job

If you’re interested in similar ideas, do look up “Palace Economy” used by the Minoans! They were very advanced for their society, suspected to have fallen from issues with trade due to location. It has worked before!

It would be really neat if you could collaborate with the other Breadtubers to combine Research (submit to library AFTER your video drops), and essentially create a database of things everyone could pull from.

I always get excited seeing a new video by you, you make anarchism make sense and are probably the best video essayist out there

That skit at the end was so perfect at solidifying what the idea was, and just how much better life would be if we built a world like that. Loved this video!

Always have thought of myself as leaning mutualist, unsure of the possibility of a moneyless society - until now. This is truly an excellent video, and has really convinced me of how an anarcho-communist society could function. Thank you, and incredible work my friend!

A few years ago I thought of creating a local knitting needle library-- because we usually only need the needles for a particular project or a few projects at a time-- then you put them back into the needle pool! Thanks for reminding me that this shared economy (the 180 of a gig economy?) is aspirational and to begin holding it in my sphere of influence again. 😍

This feels like such an intuitive way to live and feels to me like the perfect way to achieve a minimalistic society where we are actually able to heal the earth and ourselves. I can't tell you how many things I can think of that I would love to have just borrowed from the library rather than buying it. It has never made sense to me to buy really expensive items like camping gear or a truck when I don't need to use them or won't use them very often. As someone with ADHD who regularly goes through intense phases of interest a library economy sounds incredible and I wish I were living in it today.

I really appriciate the demonstration you had at the end. While I had some idea of how a library economy would work, that skit really put it into perspective.

Reminds me very much of Cory Doctorow's 2017 novel "Walkaway" - exploring what a possible transition from Capitalism to a post-Capitalism world might look like.

I've even seen this on a micro level. I dont know if it still exists, but Geneva Switzerland used to have an extensive library of toys parents could check out. Everything from bikes to games to dolls.

That closing segment was amazing. It sounded like a real conversation and really put the finishing touch on this video.

Just to add to the recommendations... The episode SrslyWrong did w Andrewism was really good The trilogy on Library Socialism was great But the trilogy on Social Ecology was fr*cking amazing. Cannot recommend people check it out more strongly. Great video, dude. :)

One of your best! I am always on board with the pictures of society you paint, but sometimes struggle with visualizing them, understanding them. But I understand libraries well enough, and the skit at the end really helped the subject 'come alive' so very good call on that! Thank you for broadening my mind.

i love that you included little clips to analogize the ideal situation of a library economy, as well as the sinking cruise ship analogy of our current economy.

I live in a pretty rural area with not a lot of resources for public funded institutions like libraries. And yet my local library has a seed library every spring, a tool library, a sports equipment library, a 3 D printer and scanner, soundproofed recording spaces, video and camera equipment, robotics kits for kids, etc and they offer free sewing classes, cooking classes, crochet classes, art classes, etc. My friend is currently learning how to do her first sewing project thanks to a free library class. There is a local toy library for borrowing any toy your child may like. The town council has library of any winter sports gear you may like (skis, snowshoes, sleds, etc). It's truly amazing the free and accessible resources hiding in plain sight when you go looking. I wish there was more promotion of the free economy already available out there. But I guess local businesses that would otherwise sell those items wouldn't love that 🙄

Something that I hate about libraries nowadays is that just as most other "public" spaces, not all people are allowed to stay. In winter, I see homeless folks freeze in the cold while the library is right next to them, mostly empty, with chairs to rest, radiators to warm yourself with and books to help escape a tiresome life.

Thank you for making this! It is wonderful to hear you describe such an attainable utopia! It seems so close in our collective imagination we could all just reach out and take it - and then share it, obviously

I love the conversation near the end, both for giving an example of life in a library economy, but also because I'm a fan of "casual dialogue" that shoehorns unnatural exposition.

The world you describe in your work is the kind of world that I have always dreamed of. I'm tired of dreaming about it so I try to live by these principles and spread it's tenets to all that I meet. Thank you so much!

22:03 the outro skit feels so nice and comforting. I appreciate the sincere imagination of what it could look like to operate this way, with lots of different angles. Why should we need to personally buy and store items we barely use, like camping equipment? Plus, I would love just hanging out at a community kitchen, not only providing for others but just socializing. I think of how absurd it is to pay for tons of streaming services just to watch your shows and movies, and them actually getting rid of content you wanted to continue using. Meanwhile libraries today have video and DVD sections! I got a DVD player to open up that resource for me, but that DVD player as well could have been from its own library. Great vid

The final skit left me gleeful and euphoric. Sometimes it can be hard to imagine a different world and this was a powerful and invigorating peek.

Commenting to F the algorithm! Your stuff should be way higher in everybody’s feeds! Thank you for sharing!

I love this idea . I know parts of it are already in use in Iceland. We have a tool library and circular economy things. Also Fablab. Where for small amounts of money you can make cool things. I used it to learn how to solder, make a small circuit, create something I had designed and then later cut what I needed. I paid next to nothing. (Just for material I used and a minuscule space and time fee)

The cruise ship clip hits hard due to recent events...

So as a library lover I LOVE this concept and video but also the skits in the middle and at the end are so funny and good and I like them so much

Does anyone else listen to Andrewism's videos and just start tearing up from the sheer beauty of imagining these kinds of future landscapes? Politics can be a lot like poetry, in the sense of its potential to bring out the best in humanity. The right kind of politics, that is. And I found that in anarchy

When I read the title about this video, I already knew what was about. As a US citizen, I think libraries are a radical concept that just couldn't be conceptualized in todays society if they hadn't existed already. Where I live I know of a tool library where you can check out various tools to fix your home, and I think this is a wonderful resource, but I could see tool rental places complaining about loss of business to prevent this idea from getting much larger.

Your video was recommended to me by the algorithm. Hooray for getting through the cracks of capitalism.

We have a relatively new library called Oodi (ode in English) here in Finland that has all kinds of services and stuff like separate area for families and a stroller park for people with small children, sewing machines, studios, all kinds of media equipment to name a few. I always thought it was nice to see the library evolve with the times and wished that we could expand the concept for a more accessible society. Now I have a name for it so that's nice. At that library you must pay some fees for using the epuipment of course so it's not perfect.

Love this video, I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't watched any of your other videos on a solarpunk society. I did the typical consumerist thing and took solarpunk at my percieved face value :an aesthetic. But after a good day with a good mindset, I clicked on this one and watched it until the end. Your depiction of a world structured around library practice is beautiful. It really helped me to imagine a world beyond capitalism. I'll have to go back through and watch your other solarpunk videos.

That outro is beautiful. I'd listen to life in a good society as a podcast all the time. Though, I guess it may be important to realize our work may never be done.

Loving this one! That sinking ship sketch was some pristine satire. However I have to disagree with the idea that the internet was "corrupted" somehow. Remember, the internet is a technology that was originally developed by and for the military industrial complex, and then released to the public. It's not surprising that it's development trended towards domination from early on. Despite this, I still think we could adapt at least some aspects of the tech and create our own liberated versions of it, like mesh networks or the Fediverse, or even something like VRChat. We'd have to innovate quite a bit and reimagine a lot of the basics if we want a truly liberating technology, though. Edit: One more criticism I'd add is that the idea of a library of things seems to me a bit too centralized. We all know how much is lost when huge, historic libraries are burned down, so we should avoid replicating that aspect as much as possible. I understand that these libraries would be pretty local and well-networked, but I think we can go even further with decentralization. A kind of affinity group model adapted to the library of things is probably the most resilient, yet also the least rigid. It would be flexible and dynamic, and it would avoid the weaknesses of concentration. I'll add a bit of a personal touch here as well. On thing I really love about the United States is the sheer abundance of public libraries. My childhood was defined in large part by the time I spent at the local library. I lived in a small town and still had a library nearby. I live in Turkey nowadays and there aren't nearly as many libraries here (it's also much harder to find books in English, which is largely a nationalism issue). Thankfully my university has a pretty big library with plenty of English books, and I'm already taking full advantage of it.

And suddenly RU-vid recommended this amazing video to me. Never heard of this or the related channels but I subscribed right away! You explain these concepts very clearly and also have humorous skits in between that help with the imagination. Besides that, I've been looking for alternatives to capitalism, and this video is exactly what helps me imagining such a utopia, instead of just focusing on the negatives of the current system. Thank you for this!

I’m passionate about sustainable fashion, and an idea this video sparked in my head is that in a library economy that is both local and international is that seasons of clothes could be shipped between the hemispheres during alternating seasons. For example, when it’s summer in Australia, we wouldn’t need our winter clothes, and we can instead send them to another country in the Northern Hemisphere. Conversely, they can send us their summer clothes. It might also be a really great form of cultural exchange. Basically other countries sharing their cultural dress with us freely as opposed to the fashion industry appropriating it for profit. Great video! Really made me think 💖

Love this idea. Another example is the ‘giving closet’ in my neighborhood. People can freely drop their unused stuff or grab stuff they need. It’s always filled with items ranging from clothes to books and tools. Proving that we don’t need to own most of the things we use.

Look into permaculture. It's not just about farming.

Is 'Library Economy' a term you coined in this video?? Because it rolls off the tongue really well. I want to start talking about this concept using this label because it fits so well